The Alchemist, David Teniers II
This is the domain of an alchemist, a scientist trying to make gold. He is stirring in a bowl, holding a handbook. The room is full of wondrous boilers, stoves and glassware. The alchemist was a popular theme in 16th and 17th century Flemish painting. He is the symbol of the man who wastes his money on futile, unimportant things and thus becomes a beggar.
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